Cancun Mexico

Cancun International (CUN) is the second busiest airport in Mexico and sits about 16 km south of the Hotel Zone, with direct flights from across North America and Europe. Allow a while at immigration in high season.

Getting in: the ADO bus runs from all terminals to the downtown bus station for about 120 pesos and is the cheapest reliable option. Pre-booked shuttles and app rides are straightforward. Ignore the people who approach you in the arrivals hall offering transport or a free stay, which is a timeshare pitch and a long-standing fixture of this airport. Official taxi desks are outside, past the doors.

The R1 and R2 buses run the length of Boulevard Kukulcan between the Hotel Zone and El Centro, every few minutes, all day and most of the night, for a flat fare of around 12 pesos paid in cash to the driver. They are the way locals and most visitors move around, and they are far cheaper than taxis, which are unmetered and expensive and should be agreed on before you get in. Because the Hotel Zone is one long road, you cannot really get lost: everything is either towards El Centro or away from it. Walking between adjacent resorts works, but the kilometre markers are deceptive and there is not much shade. ADO runs comfortable long-distance coaches from the downtown bus terminal to Playa del Carmen, Tulum and Merida.

December to April is the dry season and the reason most people come: 24 to 29C, low humidity, little rain. It is also the most expensive and most crowded.

CHES 2027 runs 6 to 9 September, which is the peak of Atlantic hurricane season. The season runs June to November and August through October is its most active stretch. September is also hot and very humid, around 28 to 33C, with afternoon downpours, and it is the cheapest time of year to visit for exactly those reasons. Direct hurricane strikes on Cancun are not common in any given week, but flight disruption across the region is a real possibility, so this is a trip worth booking with a flexible fare and travel insurance.